Gone
by RoyalBaguette
Summary: Toby and Claire realize that Jim hasn't returned. So they go to find him. When they do, they get quite a shock.
1. Chapter 1

"Toby, it's been a while. Should I shadow jump to him?" Claire asked worriedly. She fidgets with her shadow staff. Jim had left for a stroll and had not come back.

"Nah, give the guy a couple more minutes, he's been in love with the outdoors ever since the Darklands," Toby said, eying a Nougat Nummy on the table.

Claire threw it to him. "It's been an hour, Tobes!" she exclaimed.

"Don't you know these things take time?" Toby unwraps the Nougat Nummy and pops it in his mouth. He continues while chewing. "Beshides, it'sh no' like he hashn't done it every day."

Claire looked at him, disgusted. "I'm going, Toby." She gets up and extends her staff. "Jim," she whispers, concentrating. The warmth leaves her body and a black portal escapes the staff. "Coming?"

"Duh," sighs Toby, swallowing.

Claire lets him through the portal first. She's about to enter when she hears a scream on the other side. She rushes through and follows Toby's gaze to where he's staring, the latter frozen in fear. She looks down and covers her mouth with a gasp.

There, lying on the ground in the dark alleyway, in a pool of his own blood, was Jim.

Claire rushes to his side. She checks his pulse (still there, thankfully) and looks all over his blue jacket which was twisted with deep red blood. She notices that it's ripped on the side and finds a giant gash, around the same height as his daylight sword. Claire immediately takes her own jacket and wraps it around the wound. She gazes at his handsome face, his beautiful bluebell eyes slid shut in a state of deep unconsciousness.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Jim!" Toby shrieks, stuck in place from terror.

"Toby, help me!" yells Claire. "He's barely breathing! You support his head, we need to get him to Blinky now!"

Toby (who seemed to realise if he just stood in shock, his friend would die) quickly ran over to his best friend and held his head up. "Oh god." Reality sunk in for Toby when he saw Jim's unmoving body, limp open mouth and still chest. He visualised Jim's happy smile, his determination and just wanted to sit in a corner and cry. He settled for a sob, one that shook his body (there would be time for proper crying later).

Claire took her staff and made a portal to Blinky. She slid her hands underneath Jim's lifeless back. She and Toby carried him through and yelled for Blinky.

"Blinky!" yelled both Claire and Toby.

AAARRRGGHH! came running first. His eyes widened at what Claire and Toby were carrying. He knew by the panting and desperate eyes of the children that the time for questions would be later. AAARRRGGHH! used his large hands to gently lift Jim out of the two teenager's arms.

"You clean. I take Jim to in-firm-na-ree and get Blinky." said AAARRRGGH! in his deep rumbling voice. Jim was still bleeding, but not much.

"Clean?" questioned Claire. That was when she realised she was covered in blood. Toby was too. "Come on Toby, Jim will be safe here. We need to wash and get Jim's mom."

AAARRRGGHH! nodded and walked away.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," said Toby.

Claire shadow jumped Toby back to his house, and then she portalled herself to her own house.

Claire showered so quickly she was sure it was a new world record. She called Toby and he said he was finished too. Claire shadow jumped to Toby's house and from there they both ran to Jim's house.

Claire and Toby frantically started knocking on the door until Barbara answered.

"Kids?" She asked. "What are you doing here this late, I- where's Jim?"

"That's what we're here for, we know where he is" gushed Claire. "You need to come with us. You can trust us."

"I- okay. Where do we need to go?" asked Barbara.

"The canals," replied Toby. "We should drive. We need to get there as soon as possible."

The three got in the car and sped to the canals. The ride was quick, though it felt like a lifetime to Toby and Claire.

"We're here, now what?" asked Barbara.

Claire extracted a Horngazel from inside her purse. She drew the archway on the canal walls and the magical door opened.

Barbara stared with wide eyes. "How on earth did you-"

"We'll explain on the way down," said Claire.

"So wait. There are good trolls, and bad trolls, and you and my son? Trolls don't exist! Do they?" asked Barbara, breathing a little heavy.

"You're about to see a whole bunch of them," said Claire, impatient but trying desperately not to show it. Jim needed them!

They ran down the final steps and into Trollmarket. Barbara saw the trolls and started screaming.

"No, they're good! There's no time for this, we must keep moving!" said Claire.

They dragged a terrified Barbara through Trollmarket and it's confused trolls and reached the infirmary.

"Now, Barbara. What you are about to see will shock you. You won't like it. None of us will. But we thought you deserved to know." said Claire.

Barbara nodded, obviously still terrified but trying to hide it.

With a sigh, Claire led the others through into the infirmary.

Claire saw Blinky huddled over the only occupied bed. She rushed over to him and asked, "Is everything okay? Will he... will he make it?"

Blinky smiled. "Our beloved Trollhunter will survive the ordeal. His wound is treated and he is getting along as he should be. However, he is in an extremely weakened state. He will not be allowed to leave for quite some time."

Claire sighed and looked at the once strong boy. "Alive. That's all we can ask for at the moment."

Toby and Barbara joined them. The latter had still not seen who the current subject of worried conversation was. "So, who did you want..." she ended her sentence with a gasp. "Jim!" she cried, shoving Blinky out of the way and huddling over her son. "Why? What happened? What did those trolls do to him?" she started sobbing into her son's chest, which was rising and falling much more evenly.

"We need to talk," said Claire.


	2. Chapter 2

"Shouldn't he have woken up by now?" asked a worried Toby. He, Claire, Blinky and Barbara were sitting near the entrance of the infirmary, discussing recent updates.

"Under the usual circumstances, yes, but..."

"Blinky, what are you not telling us?" Claire's voice was suspicious and condescending.

"Well, I- um.. may have... er- given him a..." Blinky trailed off.

"Blinky..!" warned Toby.

"Mild... sedative?" Blinky finished sheepishly.

The look plastered on Barbara's face was a look of shock, betrayal, and anger. Claire and Toby's faces were that of a similar description.

Barbara opened her mouth to yell something at Blinky but he pressed on.

"Only to ensure I could fix him up without the risk of him waking up! Not unlike your... anaesthesia, I presume?"

Barbara slowly nodded.

Blinky glanced over at his dear friend. "He is quite the case. It seems that the blade he was injured with had some sort of poison on it. I am yet to deduce what poison it is, human or trollish."`

"Poison? You have the cure, right?" distressed Claire.

"Unfortunately not. I have given him a general antidote which won't destroy the poison but will slow it greatly."

"And the wound? How did you treat it?" fretted Barbara.

"The poison was acidic, it means if I try to stitch it the thread will be dissolved, and the injury is too large and deep for your medical glue. The best thing I could do was to cover it to keep it from getting infected."

"So we wait until it closes itself over?" asked Toby.

"It could take years," said Barbara sadly.

"Is that it? There's nothing we can do?" asked Claire.

"Worry not, dear friends! I am certain we will think of something!" assured Blinky. "Until then, Master Jim will just have to fare with the pain of a poisoned gash on his chest."

A loud cough interrupted what concerns Barbara had to say and the group quickly rushed over to aid their companion.

Jim slowly opened his eyes with a groan and looked around at his audience. "Blinky? Mom?" he asked wearily. His voice was as dry and hoarse as gravel.

AAARRRGGHH and Draal came running into the room.

"Jim awake now?" asked AAARRRGGHH.

"What happened to the Trollhunter?" asked Draal nervously, eyeing the worn human whom everyone was crouched over.

"Master Jim! How do you feel?" asked Blinky, fussing over his patient.

"Terrible, how- gah!" his groan was interrupted by a yelp of pain as the repercussions of the previous night caught up to him. He clutched his side and shut his eyes in agony. He stifled several screams of torture.

Claire and Toby looked on in horror.

"Oh, sweetie..." sighed Barbara, at a loss of seeing her child in this amount of horrible discomfort.

"Master Jim, I understand that you are suffering greatly, but I need you to tell me what you are experiencing right now." calmed Blinky.

"It's- it's like-" Jim started between gasps and grunts of great affliction, looking up at Blinky. "It's like- like someone forced me to drink acid, and it's slowly eating my body from the inside."

Blinky gasped. "That is not a good sign."

"Why? What does it mean?" asked Toby worriedly.

"I only know of one poison that grants those symptoms, Hunting Anubis."

AAARRRGGHH and Draal's eyes both widened in horror.

"It can't be..." muttered Draal.

"Hunting what?" asked Claire.

"The venom of an animal similar to a spider. It will not kill the victim, but it will prevent the wound from ever fully healing, and..."

"And what? Don't you dare start holding back now, Blinky," said Barbara.

"It... also brings the victim the most pain any venom can inflict, including lethal ones, and... there is no full cure," finished Blinky.

"That explains it," frowned Toby, glancing at his suffering friend.

"I have some painkillers, but they won't take effect for at least five minutes." murmured Barbara. "Would they even work?"

"Most certainly. Give them to him now and Master Jim will soon be relieved of some of his clear distress," confirmed Blinky.

"Honey," Barbara said to her son. "These are some painkillers, I need you to take them for us, can you do that?"

Jim nodded slowly. Toby and Claire helped him sit up partially and he inhaled sharply. He shuddered as he swallowed weakly.

"So I'm... not going to die, then?" he tried to joke feebly, sitting up the rest of the way with yet another grunt. Everyone could tell that the humour did not reach his glazed eyes.

"No, Master Jim, but you will be suffering greatly. Your body is at it's weakest, which means the poison is at it's strongest," said Blinky. "However, I have no doubt in my mind you will make it through, you have endured far worse and stood up tall nonetheless. You have a fierce personality, which will not let you give in!"

Jim sighed. "Thanks, Blink. So, uh... what actually happened? I haven't asked yet..."

"I was only informed of this incident recently, so I'm afraid I cannot help you, Trollhunter," said Draal.

With that, Toby and Claire launched into a discussion about how they had found him on the streets, almost dead (although they didn't mention that part, they thought Jim had suffered enough for one night) and how they immediately got him to Blinky. How they had decided it would be best if Barbara knew (Jim was annoyed at them for this, he wanted to tell her himself, but Claire and Toby promised they only briefly explained the Trollhunting, not his many adventures), and...

"You probably would have woken up a lot sooner if _someone-_ " Toby broke off to pointedly glare at Blinky. "-hadn't of given you a freaking _sedative_!"

Jim gave him a look of confusion. "What?"

"It was a necessary precaution!" replied Blinky indignantly.

"You sedated me?" demanded Jim, his voice raised, body tensing, equally (if not more) irritated (although it did seem to be a good sign that the pain medication was indeed working).

"I would not have done it if there was such a high risk of you waking at the wrong moment," soothed Blinky, calming both himself and his patient down.

Jim relaxed again. "I'm sorry, Blink, I've just got... a lot on my mind," apologised Jim.

"There is certainly no need to apologise, Master Jim," Blinky said.

Jim winced.

"What, what is it?" asked Toby anxiously.

"Nothing, I'm fine!" Jim lied, doing everything in his power to make sure his friends worried as little as possible.

"It really hurts, doesn't it?" demanded Claire, seeing right through him.

Jim sighed (ouch, bad idea) and nodded.

"I know! What if he puts on the armour, will that help?" suggested Toby.

"That is not a bad theory, Tobias. Master Jim?" Blinky urged gently.

Jim felt around in his pockets. His eyes went wide. "Oh no."

"What is it, honey?" Barbara whispered. She (like Draal and AAARRRGGHH) had been uncharacteristically silent throughout the exchange.

Jim murmured his next words, frozen with fear and dread. "The amulet's gone."


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a few weeks since the initial attack and Jim was doing quite well. He was confined to Trollmarket, Blinky said that the combination of being injured and not having his amulet was reason enough to stay in the safe boundaries of the trolls' home.

Jim had tried to escape a few times, but of course, never got far due to AAARRRGGHH always catching him. He had even tried using the Gyre to escape, but Blinky had stomped on that idea like it was a rogue gnome.

"I understand you are restless, Master Jim, but you should not be straining yourself this way," said Blinky for what seemed to Jim like the umpteenth time.

"I need to see the sun, Blink. Trollmarket's dull light is starting to make me feel sick."

"It could be the light or the fact that you are continuously running off when your body is not prepared for that physical activity!" Blinky was starting to get angry.

"Vitamin D deficiency, Blinky!" tried Jim.

"Your mother has already provided me with the supplements necessary."

"Damn it," Jim muttered under his breath.

"This has gone too far, Master Jim. I'm afraid I have to put a Griphlok on you."

"Woooaah, no way, Blink. The last time you gave me some of your weird troll magic, some crazy clones of mine tried to kill me!"

Blinky pulled out a bronze bracelet with jade highlights from his pocket and before Jim could protest it was snapped on his wrist.

Jim tried to pull it off but it was attached tightly to his hand.

"What the- what the hell is this, Blinky? Get it off of me!" Jim was yelling at his mentor.

"It will not harm you, Master Jim. Now, off you go."

Jim glared at Blinky before sulking back to the infirmary, still fidgeting with his new accessory.

Jim had waited until morning which was when almost everybody in Trollmarket was asleep. Even Blinky and AAARRRGGHH (Jim had popped his head in the library). Believing he was finally in the all clear, he snagged a Horngazle from the nearby table and made his way up the crystal steps.

Unfortunately, that was where his luck ran out.

Every part of his body except his left arm went past the last crystal step. He tried pulling it through again. It wouldn't budge. He pulled harder. Nothing. It was as if a force was stopping a part of his body- oh. The bracelet. The damn bracelet. He started tugging on it, desperate to be free, the confinement making him woozy.

"Shit!" Jim swore. He was so close to freedom, only for it to be tugged out of his grasp yet again.

"Going somewhere, Master Jim?"

Jim whirled around to find Blinky behind him with an amused expression on his face.

Jim gave an exasperated sigh. "Why are you torturing me like this?"

"Because it is necessary. Come along."

Jim hung his head low as he followed Blinky back into the market. The bracelet, of course, had no problem going back into Trollmarket. He knew it was just an inanimate object, but Jim swore he could feel a strong sense of triumph from the little piece of jewellery.

"Woah, this place is really cool!" Said the human as he roamed the giant underground building.

The halls were huge! It was like the whole population lived there! If only Bar- no, she wouldn't join him, he left her and their son for a girl he lasted a week with.

But the human didn't want to think about that. He wanted to know what this place was. He was going to a travel agency to flee the country- he had gotten in trouble with someone when they were dealing drugs- when the floor started descending and a crisp female voice said, "Welcome to the Janice Order" (whatever that was).

He walked into one of the rooms, hearing voices, and he wondered if they could help him get out.

"The Trollhunter must be separated from his amulet before you can attack, my Lord. He will be-" the voice cut off as he saw the human.

The human, distracted by the giant sculpture of some sort of monster, didn't notice the two trolls until he looked ahead.

The human started shrieking (to be fair, that is a very _human_ reaction).

The larger of the two snatched up the human before he could run away.

"I told you impures, that you are not to interrupt..." the monster sniffed. "You aren't an impure. You're a human." The big monster looked at the little one. "How is an impure in here?!" he yelled.

"Please don't hurt me..." whimpered the human.

"Your scent is familiar. I won't eat you until I find out why." The monster sniffed once more. "What is your name?" The monster asked, threatening him with a giant sword that just appeared out of nowhere _oh my God_ -

"J-Jam-es L-Lake."

The monster's eyes widened before looking at his associate, an air of understanding between the two.

The monster turned back to James.

"You will do something for me."


End file.
